Fluid pressure operated swab



N. H. RICKER Dec. l5, 1931.

FLUID PRESSURE OPERATED SWAB Filed May 9, 1930 Patented Der. 15, 1931when STATES 'noni/ren' n.

OF HOUSTON, TEXAS rnissnnn ornnafrnn swan Application led Mayl 9,

My inventionrelates to the lifting of liquid from deep wells by means ofthe pressure of gaseous fluid. lt pertains particularly to devices ofthis character in which a swab is employed.

lt is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus whereby theliquid may be raised from the well by a single eduction tube and a wellcasing outside thereof, thus doing ,io away with the use of a separatepipe to condulpt the air to the lower end of the eduction tu e.

y I have as a further object to rovide attachments for the casing head,w ereby the 15 plunger may be automatically caught at the upper end ofits stroke and again automatically released through the accumulation ohuid pressure -in the well. I desire that the inlet of gaseous fluidpresao sure from the main line may be automatically controlled to enterthe well and to raise the plunger Awhen the desired head of liquidaccumulated above the plunger. In the drawings .herewith Fig. 1 is aceny 26 tral vertical section through an apparatus embodying myinvention.

LFig. 2 is a similar section through the up per end of said apparatus,taken on a plane at right angles to that of Fig. 1. 3o Fig. 3 is atransverse section taken on' the plane 3--3 of Filg. 2..

Fig. 4 is a bro en side elevation of the up per end of the eductiontube.

'l-he device here disclosed is an improvement upon the apparatusdisclosed in the lapplication for patent of H. W.. Fletcher, SerialNo.326,234, filed December 15, 1928, and is a modiication of the inventiondisclosed in my copending application No. 448,832 tiled May 1, 1930.4The device is similar but with the Isame modified to include means toautomatically hold the plunger while the liquid is rising and to providemeans for eliminating the use of two tubes within the casing.

and its upper end is closed by an elongated @il cap 4. The interior otthe casing head has an The casing is shown at 1. It has a lcasing i930.serial No. 450,971.

inwardly extending ilange providing a shoulder 5 to support theeduction'tube.

The gaseous fluid enters the casing head through a lateral inlet 6connecting with a pipe 7 leading to an automatic pressure fluid '55regulator A.

The eduction tube 8 is of smaller diameter than the casing below theinlet 6 to provide an inlet passage 9 for the pressure fluid. Within thecasing head, the eduction tube connects with a head 10 upon which is aflange 11 to engage upon' the shoulder 5 to support the tube in thecasing. Above the flange 11 is a sleeve 12 screwed upon the head 10 andadapted to form a seal within the casing head.

Above the head 10, the eduction tube extends upwardly into the outer cap4, the upper end of the tube being closed as shown at 13. The sides ofthe extension are slotted at 15 to allow for the pressure fluid andtheliquid from the well. A slot 16 is also formed to receive a latching dog17 suspended upon a leaf spring 18 which holds said dog normally inposition to engage the swab 79.

Below the dog/,17 is aslidable collar 19, the upper end of which isbeveled at 20, see Fig. 4, to engage beneath the dog 17 and move it outof swab engaging position. Below the collar 19 isa ring 21 secured tothe tube extension 14 by weldinoor the like, and servin as a supportforabbell crank lever 22. Sai lever is pivoted at 23 to the ring and hasan upwardly extending lever arm 24, the end of which is slotted at 25 toreceivethe pin 26 upon an operating yoke 27. There is a short arm 28 onthe lever, which engages beneath the collar 19 to move said collar whenthe well is operated. y Y

The lower vend of the tube 8 is connected with the inlet coupling 29which forms a seatv -for the l,swab and has an inlet port 30 below theswab seat 3l for the gaseous pressure fluid, and an v inlet port 32 forthe liquid 'past the swab to the space above. At the lower end of thecoupling is a Vnipple 33 projecting into the liquid. 1 The swab 79 litswithin the eduction tube. Its lower end is rounded to fit the seat 3,1.A valve 34 has a stem 34-a slidable in the lower m" end of the swab, andthe said valve is noris connected. TheJ valve 44 has a stem conmallyretained out of its seat by gravity and nected with a head 48 recessedto receive a by fluid pressure below the seat 35. Below spring 49adjustably mounted in a cap 50 on the seat are lateral openings intheswab the outer end of chamber 47. The pipe 72 through which liquid orother fluid may pass connects by way of a manually operated valve intoand through the swab. Y 73 with a pipe 74 leading to an inlet opening Mypressure Huid may be air, gas,or similar 75 in the casing head 2. Thepressure fluid Huid forced under pressure through pipe 36 enters chamber45 from the pipe 76 which to the pipe 7 by way of the pressure fluidregmay be connected with the same source of ulator pressure fluid as ispipe 36, it only being neces- Said regulator includes a housing 37, oneAsary that the pressure of iiuid in this pipe be end of ywhich issecured to the head 2 by the comparativelyv uniform. f pipe 7. Acylinder 38 in the housing is sep- In the operation of the device;beginning arated from the valve chamber 39 by a partiwith the partspositioned as shown in Fig. 1, tion 54. the plunger has just reached itsseat and is The valve chamber 39 has a seat at its lower ready for thevalve to be closed tostart upside to receive the valve 55, whichnormally wardly. The pressure fluid entering below 4 closes the passagefrom the pressure fluid pipe the swab closes the valve, and the plunger36 to the inlet pipe 7. The valve 55 is norwith its load of liquid isforced upwardly to mally under pressure of a 'spring 56 pressing fthesurface. The liquid discharges through against the stem of the valvefrom below. the outlets 15 and 3, andthe plunger moves Said spring ishoused within a chamber 57 past the openings, andthe back pressure ofand adJusted as to pressure byanut 58 therein. the fluid entrapped inthe cap 13 forces the There is a by-pass 59 from the chamber 29 valveopen. The plunger, however, is ento the pipe 7, said by-pass beingcontrolled gaged by the dog 17 and is retained there temas to size by aneedle valve 60. p'orarily.` Y

The cylinder 38 houses a piston 61, the stem Some of the fluid underressure in the up- 62 on which projects through the partition 54 per endof the eduction tu e passes through to engage the valve 55. There is aport 63 inl openings 4l to the cylinder and moves the the side wall ofthe cylinder connecting with v'piston 39 toclose the valve 44. Thisshuts a passage 64 which leads to the interior of off the full linepressure from the pipe 76 to the `casinghead 2. The port 63 is normallythe pipe 72.v The air behind the plunger exclosed by a needle valve 65,said valve being hausts through the outlet at the upper end o held`resiliently in port closing position by a the eduction tube, vand theliquid from `the spring 66 bearing against the stem of said wellimmediately moves up into the eduction valve. tube above the seat 31.

Above the valve 65, the cylinder is connected with a compression chamber67 upon the load of liquid is discharged, forces Huid which is mounted apressure gage 68. j A leak through the opening 64 and the pipe 63 pastfrom said chamber is provided at 69. The the valve to the cylinder 38,thus forcing valve 55 will be closed by the piston 61 under the piston61 downwardly. This forces the pressure in the casing head 2J Pressurefluid valve 55 to closed position, shutting o the from the line 36 willleak past the valve full line pressure from the pipe 36 to the well.through the by-pass 59 until the pressure in This allows the liquid toenter freely, filling the well plus the pressure of spring 56 opens theeduction tube to the desired level. As the valve to allow full linepressure to enter the liquid is thus flowing into the eductionthe well.q tube, the air is entering slowly throughy the Secured to the casinghead in a position at byass 59 to the well and bubblingupwardapproximately right angles to the pressure ly t rough the liquid.It enters through the regulator is the swab control device B. inlet 30and past the valve stem 34-a and Said control device includes a cylinder70 sevalve 34 and thus to the eduction tube. As cured in a radialposition upon the casing the head of liquid in the eduction tube inhead.Said cylinder has a piston 71 therein creases, it exerts back pressureon the air or adapted to bear against the rod 40 whichprogaseous fluidemployed, thus gradually build- ]ects through the wall ofthe casing heading up the pressure in the casing until this where it is connected withthe yoke 27 for opl pressurev plus the force of the spring 56 unerationof the sleeve 19. A plurality of openseats the valve 55 and allows fullline pres ings 41 about the rod 40 allow the passage of sure to enterthe well. c fluid from the Casin head to said cylinder. The pressurefluid forces the valve 34 in the A stem 42 on the piston is slidablethrough swab to closed position, and the swab and its a partition 43 atthe head of the cylinder and load is then moved upwardly on the next mayenga e a valve 44 at one side of a cham- 'stroke of the plunger. 1t isto be understood ber 45. aid valve closes an opening in a that as thefluid pressure builds up in the well wall 46 se arating the chamber 45from an the valve 44 in the swab control device wi adjacent c amber 47with which the pipe 72 be operated for movement to'open position Thefluid pressure in the casing head, as

nasser/e before the valve 55 in the pressure regulator is opened.4 Thisis due to the eater force of the spring 49 behind the va ve 44. Thepressure in the well will enter the chamber 47 past valve 73 to act withthe pressure Aof spring 49 to move the valve 44 open and to thereby-movethe piston 71 and rod 40, thus unlatching the swab and allowing it todrop. The liquid will havebrisen by this time well above the seat 3l, sothat -said liquid will cushion the fall vof the plunger. When the valve,44 is opened, the line pressure cannot enter the wellsuddenly, due tothe choking action of the valve 7 8, which allows the pressure fluid topass but slowly. h

The operation of the swab releasing mechanism must preferably be timedto `release the swab plunger so that the swab may reach its seat withthe load of liquid above it before the pressure fluid regulator isoperated `to admit the full force ofthe line pressure to the well. vThis is done by the comparative areas of the Valvestupon which thepressure fluid may act, and mainly by the comparative forces of thesprings 49 and 56.

The advantage of y device liesin the fact that they swab is controlledautomatically in its travel without the use of a special pressure iuidinlet pipe. The swab is retained from falling until the liquid has risenabove the swab seat 31, thus assuring that said swab will not fall to adry seat, thereb avoiding the shock, which would necessari y result ifno liquid had accumulated above the seat.

What I claim as new is: v

l. A well casing, a casing `head thereon, an eduction tube in saidcasing having discharge openings to said casing head, a swab plungermovable insaid tube from one end to the other thereof, means to control'the entrance of duid pressure to the lower end of said tube, means tolatch said swab to said tube 4at the upper end of said tube, and means 4to release said latch before said control means is operated.

2. In combination, a well casing, a single eduction tube therein, apressure iiuid conducting pipe connected with said casing to introducepressure fluid to the lower end of said tube, a swab in said tube, 'aseat' there- 4 for adjacent 'the lower end of. said tube, a

' .ducting pipe connected with said casin introduce pressure uid to thelower en of -latch to engage said swab adjacent the upper end of saidtube, means actuated by fluid `pressure insaidcasing to release saidlatch,

and .a regulator in said pressure fluid conducting pipe and separatefrom said means to admit the full pressure therefrom to said casingresponsive to a predetermined pressure in said casing.

3. In combination, a wel'lcasing, a single eduction tubetherein, apressure fluid consaid tube, a swab in said tube, a seat thereforadjacent the lower end of said tube, `va latch regulator is operatedtoadmit full line pressure to the casing.

4 In combination, a well casing, a single eduction tube therein, apressure fluid conducting pipe connected with said casing to introducepressure fluid to the lower end of said tube,'a swab in said tube, aseat therefor adjacent the lower end of said tube, means to engage andhold said swab at the upper end of said tube, means to release saidswab, and means to thereafter admit full pressure of fluid from saidpipe to said tube to raise said swab. l

5. In combination, a well casing, a single eduction tube therein, apressure duid conducting pipe connected with said casing to introducepressurewfluid to thelower end of said tube, a swab in said tube, a seattherefor adjacent .the lower' end of said tube, means to engage andhold'isaid swab at the upper end of said tube, means to release saidswab,

`and means to thereafter admit full pressure of Huid from said pipe tosaid tube to raise said swab, said releasing means and said fluidadmitting means each being responsive ^`to a' predetermined duidpressure in -said casing.

6. In` combination, a well casing, a casing head thereon, a singleeduction tube suspended in said casing head, a swab in said eductiontube, a stop s'eat for said swab adjaicent the lower end of said tube,means to latch sponsive to fluid pressure in said casing to latch saidswab at the upper end of said tube,

means to deliver pressure iiuid below said swab, means to release saldlatch, and means operable after release of said latch to allow .anincreased viow of pressure fluid to raise said plunger.

8. In combination, a well casing, a casing head thereon, a singleeduction tube suspended in said casing head, a swab in said eductiontube, a stop seat for said swab adjacent the 'lower end of said tube,means to engage and hold said swab at the upper end of said tube, saidmeans being releasable in lso response to iuid pressure insid casing,end separate means to control the entrance of iiuid pressure to thewell, ogerating to raise said swab when a full loa n 5 above said swab.

of liquid rises In testimony whereof, I hereunto aix my signature, thisthe 30th day of April, A. D.,

NORMAN H. RICKER.'

